Truth Realized
by Momentous
Summary: Hermione learns the truth about some of her best friends HPRW & GWDM. Slash One Shot


Title: Truth Realized  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, if I did the ships at the end of HBP would have looked MUCH different.  
Rating: PG (barely, but better safe than sorry)  
Pairings: Ron/Harry, Ginny/Draco  
Word Count: 1875  
Summary: Hermione gets hit hard by the truth.  
Warnings: This fic seems to be a bit cruel to Hermione, but it really isn't. I promise she's happy in the end/future.

* * *

Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room with a cupcake on top of her large pile of books. She hoped she could bribe Ron into telling her his problems. She found Ron sitting in front of the fire with a book, and a piece of parchment that had more words scratched out than not. She had never known Ron to skip a meal over homework. She edged forward trying to see the title of the book. She was able to read the word 'Shakespeare' before Ron slammed the book shut and hastily shoved a pillow over the parchment.

"Erm. Hey there Hermione. Didn't hear you come in," Ron said as he studied her face, panic slowly rising from his toes to his hair.

"What are you working on Ron? Maybe I could help!" Hermione thought she knew what he was up to, and she reached and grabbed the scribbled on parchment. Through the scratched out words and the nervous, shaky handwriting, Hermione was able to make out the beginnings of a love poem. There were a few lines stolen from some Shakespearean Sonnets, but most was Weasley original. Hermione began to blush. After all this time Ron was going to admit his feelings for her. Hermione smiled at Ron, trying to tell him she understood without actually saying the words.

Some of the panic that had seized Ron when Hermione had caught him had drained off. She was giving him one of her understanding smiles. "Well, actually maybe you can help me. I'm crap at writing and you're pretty brilliant, and if anyone could understand it'd be you after all."

"Of course I understand Ron," Hermione said with a gentle tone to add to her gentle smile. She sat down on the couch and placed her hand on Ron's knee.

Ron put his hand on hers and took a deep breath. "You see, last night after quidditch practice, Harry and I were joking around and we… well… we kissed. And that's not all. I've had dreams, you know, the kind of dreams where… well… you know, about Harry. The thing is… I think he does too, you know… like me. I decided that one of us needs to say something. I figured it should be me since he has to deal with so much other stuff. I wanted it to be special but I can't make the words work. You think you could help?"

Hermione swallowed the huge lump that had risen in her throat. She was wrong. She was very, very wrong. She had been falling for Ron practically since she had met him. She was fighting back tears. Deep in her heart she was happy that Ron and Harry cared about each other. She cared about both of them and she wanted them to be happy, but it was hard for her to find that happiness at the moment. "Oh… well… I'm not really good with the love letter writing… or romance in general." Hermione took a deep breath trying to calm herself, hoping that Ron wasn't picking up on the emotions she was trying to bury. "I'll help as best as I can," she said. They were both still her friends after all.

* * *

When Hermione and Ron had settled on a strategy of simple honesty, Hermione excused herself. As soon as she was outside the common room and the portrait hole had closed she took off at top speed. She was going to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to cry until she was out of tears.

She slammed into the door at full speed. She braced her self against the sink to keep herself from crumpling to the tiles.

"You're a little early aren't you," came a voice from the last stall. "Oh… Hermione. What are you doing here?" It was Ginny.

"Hi Gin. I just needed to get out of…" Hermione trailed off as she took in Ginny's appearance. She was no longer wearing her school robes. Instead she was wearing a ridiculously short skirt and a very low cut shirt. She had also used some sort of spell to make her hair a little wavy instead of its normal sleek straightness. "You were expecting someone."

"Yeah, but you seem to be in crisis. I can reschedule. You're one of my best friends Hermione." Ginny put her arm around Hermione's shoulder and was obviously trying to get her out of the bathroom. "How about we adjourn to the kitchens for some snacks or maybe the room of requirement would be more comfortable."

Hermione froze. "Ginny, why are you trying to get me out? Who are you meeting?"

Before Ginny got a chance to answer the bathroom door began to open. Ginny threw herself against the door knocking the mystery date to the ground, obvious by the sounds of breaking glass.

"Bloody Hell, Gin! You made me spill all the butterbeer," came the voice from the other side of the door. A voice that Hermione recognized!

Hermione didn't speak she just pushed Ginny away from the door. When she looked into the hall she found a very disgruntled looking Draco Malfoy sitting in a puddle of butterbeer and broken glass. He looked up expecting to see Ginny, and instead discovered Hermione starring down at him. For the first time in Hermione's life he didn't appear smug. He looked almost frightened.

"Hermione, let me explain," Ginny begged. It was too late. Hermione had already taken off.

"Is she going to tell Ron and Harry?" Draco asked as Ginny helped him to his feet.

"I'm betting on, yes," Ginny answered trying to keep the panic out of her voice. She knew she was failing.

"Maybe it's time we go and face them?" Draco hadn't meant it to be a question, but somewhere deep down, he really wished that Ginny would be able to say 'No, I know a really good time reversal spell' or perhaps 'we can catch the mudblood and erase her memory' but Draco doubted the word mudblood would ever pass Ginny's lips.

"Yeah, it's time I faced my friends. You don't have to come if you don't want to," Ginny was giving Draco a look that clearly stated 'please come, please come, please come.'

Draco swallowed hard, summoning every ounce of courage he possessed, "I'm not letting you face them alone Gin. I love you." Draco was amazed at how hard it was to say and actually mean those words, he was sorely lacking in the courage, he wasn't a Gryffindor after all.

Ginny smiled for a second and then steeled her face for what she knew she was heading into. "I really wish I could be wearing something, anything other than this."

"I don't know about that." Draco responded, his smirk returning. "I could think of some worse things for you to be wearing."

* * *

Hermione nearly knocked Harry over as she got back to the portrait of the Fat Lady. He was just returning from occlumency. Hermione's discovery threw her current feelings about Ron and Harry aside. Hermione grabbed Harry's sleeve "We need to talk and Ron too." Hermione nearly dragged him through the portrait hole. She could see the obvious disappointment on Ron's face when Harry wasn't alone. "There will be time for that later Ron. We have more pressing matters at the moment."

Harry sat on the couch next to Ron. They were both very confused, but they were used to being confused by Hermione. "What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Ginny is meeting Draco Malfoy in Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom!" Hermione shouted as she nearly collapsed in the chair across from the couch.

Ron stared blank ahead, jaw clenched; face quickly heading from pink to red to purple. Harry put his hand on Ron's shoulder, half to calm him down half to restrain him in case he decided to take off to kill Draco.

"Any chance you could be reading too much into this?" Harry asked. "Maybe she was meeting someone else?"

"No chance!" Ginny said as she entered the common room followed by Draco.

Ron lunged, but Harry got a hold of him and was able to drag him back to the couch. Harry was trying to be rational. He wanted to know if maybe, somehow, they were misinterpreting something, but Draco's hands on Ginny's waist weren't helping this thought.

"Is someone going to say something?" Ginny asked.

"How long?" Ron asked, nearly growling.

"A few months," Draco replied.

"No one's asking you Malfoy!" Harry stated through clenched teeth.

"Listen guys, I know you're mad, but could you at least attempt to be nice," Ginny snapped.

"What business is it of yours Potter? You're not family. Are you upset that Ginny...oomph." Draco was cut off by Ginny's elbow.

"That nice thing goes for you too!"

Hermione had been starring into the fire since her initial outburst. Despite everything else going on, seeing Harry and Ron together brought back the day's first crisis. She had left the argument behind and retreated into her own mind for reflection. "Do you love each other?" Hermione asked. She wasn't even sure which couple she was asking.

"Yes," Draco replied without hesitation, "Or at least I can say I love Ginny, and I hope she loves me."

"I do. I love him." Ginny added turning in his arms, and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Well, then you have my support," Hermione stated as she stood and headed to her dormitory. She knew for a fact she hadn't ended the argument, but she wasn't in the mood to listen to the rest of it.

* * *

Hermione had cried herself to sleep shortly after leaving the common room. Now it was five in the morning and she was wide awake. She decided to take a walk, so she wouldn't wake Lavender or Parvati. After sometime, she ended up outside by the lake. She sat down, pulled out a quill and some parchment, and began writing a letter to her parents. She got as far as 'Dear Mom and Dad' before setting her quill down. What could she say?

_You know that boy I've been telling you about since I started here, well he doesn't love me he loves Harry!_

_You know that guy I complain about all the time, the really annoying prat who treats Ron, Harry and I like garbage, he's now dating the only female friend I have!_

As she sat watching the glassy surface of the lake picking up the colors of the sunrise, she imagined how the rest of the argument had gone. She figured at least one punch had been thrown, probably by Ron. She figured Ginny and Draco went off somewhere to fume and then probably shag. Then she thought about a very frustrated Ron and Harry fuming about it. Knowing how they felt about each other, she assumed that would eventually lead to cuddling. Somehow, despite the pangs of jealousy, the thought of Harry and Ron cuddled up on one of their beds made her smile. Somewhere in her thoughts, Hermione reached a better place. She threw out the letter she started to her parents and pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and wrote;

_Dear Viktor,_


End file.
